Ridge Road Ramble
by Gwenneth
Summary: Boss Hogg's up to his old tricks and Bo and Luke stumble on to them, as usual. This time, Boss' scheme is car parts. And he isn't geting them legal like. What happens when Bo and Luke get into the thick of things.. M to be safe...I like violence, but no a
1. Chapter 1

**Ridge Road Ramble**

**By Gwenneth**

**A/N: I don't own the Dukes and I don't claim to. I'm just havin' a little fun with them for a while. I promise I won't hurt'em…too much. This is the first story I've written on the Dukes of Hazzard. And I'm a new fan too, of the original series of course, so pardon the errors I might make!**

**Enjoy! And bug me to update if I don't…I'm a quick writer, but I get lazy when no one appears to be readin'! And now…on with the show!**

_Balladeer: A beautiful day in Hazzard County. Now if'n you haven't been here before, there's one thing you should be made aware of real fast. Everything is grounds for a ticket in Hazzard. Even driving the speed limit._

* * *

"What does he want _this_ time." Bo Duke sighed as he glanced at the side mirror again and watched as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane's car zipped around the bend he and Luke had just swerved around in the General Lee.

"You know he don't need much of a reason to chase us, Bo," Luke said, craning his head around to get a look at Roscoe's car. "Do you reckon we oughta lose him? You know we promised Uncle Jesse we'd be home by three to help with the porch roof."

Bo's face lit up and he gripped the wheel a little tighter. "Sure thing, cousin. Hang on!" And with a trademark Yi-Haw, the General shot forward and around another bend in the dirt road.

Behind the orange Charger, Roscoe P. Coltrane looked over at the passenger seat – and his companion Flash – and khee'd with glee. "Oh, hot pursuit, I love it, I love it! I'm gonna get them Duke boys this time, Flash."

And he put the pedal to the floor to try it.

The two cars spun and swerved along old Mill Pond Road and inch by inch the Duke's started to pull away from Roscoe's patrol car. Seeing this, Roscoe scowled and pulled the CB from its hook.

"Listen here you two! You pull over right this instant! I'm warnin' ya! I'm gonna catch ya!"

Laughing, Luke picked up the CB in the General. "If you plan on catchin' us, Roscoe, that patrol car better have wings." To his cousin he added, "Hit it Bo. You know the bridge is out, but since when has that ever stopped us?"

"It ain't!" Bo said, flooring the pedal and watching the speedometer hit 65 miles per hour. "Hang on!"

The General Lee hit the natural ramp before the bridge, went air borne and arched gracefully across the span of the creek before crashing down on the other side, Bo hanging onto the wheel tightly and gritting his teeth until he had it back under control. Then he smiled.

"Bye Roscoe!"

The ever intrepid sheriff of Hazzard, not to be outdone, floored his pedal too. As he went airborne, Roscoe scrunched down in his seat and grimaced. "Oh oh!" But he too hit the ground on the other side.

"Dang!" Bo exclaimed, smacking the steering wheel. "Roscoe made the jump! He's getting' better."

"No'e ain't! Look!" Luke pointed and Bo looked in the side mirror just as Roscoe's patrol car went front-end first into a culvert on the side of the road. "Looks like he still needs to learn to recover!"

Bo laughed as he took the General towards the Duke Farm.

* * *

"Roscoe, you couldn't catch them Duke's if they put _themselves_ in the backseat of your patrol car! I ask you to do _one simple thing _and you can't even do that. You better hope them Duke's don't catch on to our little operation this time."

Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg, county commissioner, bank owner, mortgage holder…and well…you just can't name them all…didn't even look up from the stack of money he was counting in his office at the Boar's Nest.

"But Boss…them Duke boys keep jumpin' streams and creeks, heck even Hazzard Pond, with that orange clunker the General Lee! You'd think they were birds or somethin'!" Roscoe reached for a chicken leg, but was immediately swatted away by his little fat buddy's pudgy hand. Scowling, he moved to the other side.

"I don't care if they turn that car into an airplane. Don't let them near Ridge Road. It's too risky. Them Dukes catch one glimpse of those cars we're swipin' and strippin' and you can say goodbye to your 10 percent of the profits!" Boss swatted Roscoe away again. "Don't you have something else to do?"

Rubbing his hand, Roscoe shook his head. "Not really Boss. Them Dukes went home."

Boss groaned. "Roscoe, go check up on them hired help on Ridge Road. Make sure the strippin' is going fine. I've got buyers for them parts and I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Yes, sir, my little fat buddy. I'm gone!"

Boss stuck his fat stogie in his mouth again and went back to counting his money. "Them Dukes are nothin' but a heap of trouble. They see what I've got goin' up on that road and they are gonna blow this operation sky high."

Glancing at the clock, he sighed. "Where _are _those two?"

Two unsavory looking fellas entered the Boar's Nest as Boss was doing his wondering and walked up to the bar. "Hello pretty lady. You know where we can find Mr. Hogg?"

Daisy Duke smiled at the men, though she didn't like the looks of them. "He's in his office, fellas. I'll just let'im know you're here. Sit tight."

The four eyes followed her as she rounded the bar and went to Boss' door. "Excuse me, Boss?" She cracked it open and frowned at the site of all that money. "There's two fellas here to see you."

"Ah!" Boss exclaimed, shoving his money into his office safe. "Send'im in!"

She did and Boss smiled cajolingly at the two. "Welcome to the Boar's Nest, gentlemen. Why don't you have a seat?" He pointed to two chairs at his small table as he took the third.

"We'll stand, Hogg. You promised us a hefty load of engine parts and we're beginning to get worried. Them parts don't come cheap and you ain't askin' much," one of the men said, pointing a calloused finger at Boss.

The pudgy man frowned. "You aren't insinuating I don't have what I promised? Are you? Because J.D. Hogg doesn't go back on a business deal. I have them parts and I'll have'm ready for you to pick up soon. Do you have the cash?"

"Randall, show'im."

Randall, a tall, dark-haired man with hair all over his face glared at Boss and pulled a suitcase from his side. Flipping the top up, he spun it around toward Boss. "$5,000 in cash. Course, you only get half now. The rest comes when we receive the merchandise."

"Sure thing, Casey." Boss said, eyes riveted to the money and hand moving toward it. He pulled it back like it had been stung when Randall snapped the lid of the suitcase shut. "Don't you be forgettin' Hogg. We only trust you as far as we can throw you. Which ain't far."

Casey flung $2,500 at Boss and both men turned heel and made for the door. "Remember Hogg. Pickup on Ridge Road at 5 p.m. Sunday. You better have the parts or you'll have no need for that money."

Boss swallowed as the door banged shut. He reached over to his CB and shouted, "Roscoe. It's on for Sunday. You keep you-know-who out of the area until after we're through with our business."

Roscoe ten-foured over the CB and Boss went to the table to faun over his money.

* * *

"Gosh, Uncle Jesse, it's a wonder this here porch roof didn't fall down on us already!" Bo wiped the back of his neck with his undershirt, which both he and Luke had discarded to work on the porch.

Jesse frowned at his nephews. "Well if you boys would spend less time prancin' around in the General and more time workin' at your chores, we mighta fixed it before it tried to clobber me on the noggin yesterday."

Luke and Bo held in their laughter, remembering how Uncle Jesse had come out of the house to remind them to be home in time for supper and had found himself inches from a partially caved in porch roof.

"Sorry, we'll do better, we promise," Luke smiled, pounding in another nail. "Right Bo?"

"Hey, cuz. You speak for yourself. But really Uncle Jesse, we will do better. We don't want no one getting' hurt on account we didn't do our chores right and proper."

Jesse hrumphed and went back in the house to help Daisy set the food out on the table. "Hey, Luke? Why do you reckon Roscoe was chasin' us earlier. We was only going 55 and there weren't no one in the area."

"I dunno, Bo. But I wanna go on out again tomorrow and test the General's new radiator some more. Best place to do that is Ridge Road. IF he can get up it, we'll have our answer as to whether the radiator's fixed or not."

Bo smiled and jumped down from the porch roof.

"Sounds like a plan to me, cousin. Now, let's go see if Daisy's done with dinner yet. I'm starved."

"You're always hungry, Bo."

He dodged a slap toward his shoulder.

* * *

_Balladeer: I reckon those boys are gonna be in a heap o' trouble if they try to drive Ridge Road tomorrow. Why is it they always end up in the one place they don't wanna be? Y'all stick around now._


	2. Caught strippin' and hospital visits

**Chapter Two: Caught strippin'**

_It sure is a pretty day in Hazzard. But them fellas look a mite uncouth to me. Wonder what they're doing sitting in them bushes. And what about that fella in the road? Somethin's mighty fishy._

* * *

A blue sedan pulled up short as it went around a sharp turn on Ridge Road, kicking up dirt as the driver just barely managed to stop in time to avoid hitting the man lying face down in the middle of the road.

The elderly driver jumped out of his car, quick as he could, and knelt down beside the man. "Hey sonny? You all right? What happened to ya?" He shook the man's arm gently, but fell back on his behind when the man pointed a gun at him.

"Just fine, Mr. But I reckon you're gonna need to walk home." He beckoned to his partners in the bushes, who proceeded to reveal themselves and soon another car, a black four door, pulled out from behind a clump of bushes. "Take this gentleman out to county 3. Someone'll pick him up there."

Nudging the stuttering gent off, the man who was almost-road-kill hopped behind the wheel of the blue sedan and took off up Ridge Road. He turned off the road a little ways further up and pulled under a canopy next to a large trailer.

"Special delivery. First one of the day…this one's got a powerful engine in it!" Jumping back out, the man patted the hood. "Boss oughta be happy with it. C'mon. Let's get cracking."

He was joined by a few others, who had up til then been idly sitting in the back of the truck waiting for the first sucker to drive by. Hazzard being as it was, citizens were liable to help out a fella in need. Only this time, they would be shucked and jived when they did.

The men wasted no time in taking apart the engine and loading various parts into boxes, which were then neatly stacked inside the truck. When they were done, they pushed the stripped cars over the sharp bluff across the street and waited for the next person to drive along.

Little did they know what was comin' up the road next.

* * *

"Bo I reckon we've tests the shocks enough, let's hightail it for ole' Ridge Road now and give that radiator a good shake down. And hope it works this time. I don't fancy another tow into town."

Luke clung to the door as Bo whipped the General around a full 180 and headed off toward the old Ridge Road; a favorite of old moonshiner's, seeing as it was the road that they always managed to shake revenuers, police and anyone else on their tales on.

They skidded around the next corner, narrowly avoiding a black sedan, and turned toward Ridge Road. The General tore up the ground as Bo pushed him up the steep incline at the start of the road, each Duke looking anxiously at the General's hood for signs of a burst radiator.

"So far, so good!" Bo exclaimed, slapping the wheel. "The ole General just might be back up to snuff, Luke!"

"He might be, but that fella don't look so good! Bo, hit the brakes! We're gonna run'im over!" Luke held tight to the dashboard as Bo slammed on the brakes, skidding to a halt a mere few feet from the prone figure on the ground.

"Gosh, Luke. Did I hit'im?"

Luke shook his head and let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "No, but let's go check him out. I don't see a car around here, wonder how he got there."

Slipping out the windows of the General, Bo and Luke hurried to the man's side and knelt down, the latter gently rolling the man over to reveal his injury – or lack thereof. All Luke revealed was a six shooter and a toothy grin.

"Well now, what have we here! A sports car! And a mightly pretty one at that. Why, I'll bet there's a fortune under that hood! Boys!" Gunman waved his free hand toward the nearby bushes. "We got us a beaute here."

Bo and Luke exchanged glances, and frowns, as four more men came out from the bushes. They were covered in grime and dust, like they'd been under the hood of one too many cars recently.

"Well, seein' as we ain't got the sedan to take'em to town in, we're just gonna have to dispose of them some other way," almost-road-kill said. "C'mon boys, hands where we can see'im and no funny business."

Luke made eye contact with Bo and cast his eyes deliberately downward, hoping Bo would look where he was pointing him to look. Bo, luckily, did. And he saw the loose dirt on the road.

A small smile spread across his face.

Luke started to rise, at the same time as Bo, and the boys made sure their heads met in mid-rise and both hit the ground again, thrusting their hands out to catch their falls – and carefully grabbing handfuls of dirt.

"Hey, git up!" The man with the gun yelled, waving it at the boys. "I said no funny business. Unless you two are just stupid…"

Bo shook his head. "Stupid I guess."

Wasting no time, Luke and Bo flung the dirt they had grabbed into the eyes of their would-be captors, especially ole would-be road-kill. While the men clawed at their watering eyes, Bo and Luke high-tailed it to the General and jumped feet-first through the windows intent on making a clean getaway.

Bo gripped the wheel and threw the car into reverse, churning up dirt as the tires spun to gain purchase on the loose dirt road. When they caught, the General lurched backward and Bo yi-hawed for good measure, leaving the would-be carjackers in the dust. Literally.

But as luck would have it, the black sedan was back and wasted no time in spinning around to charge off in pursuit of the General Lee. The men the boys had thwarted cheered the black car on!

Luke looked out the back window of the General and shook his head. "That's a fast car, Bo. We're gonna have to outsmart'em in addition to outrunning them. What do you think? Hickman's Gulch?"

Bo smiled. "I think it's worth a shot, Luke. But we ain't never jumped it. Reckon we'll make it?"

Luke laughed. "Hey, we jumped 32 cars. I think we can handle a gulch? Right General?" He patted the car and leaned back, every so often gripping the door frame to keep his seat.

The black sedan nipped at their heels the whole time, but Bo kept the General as far ahead as he could and prayed they would reach the gulch before something _else_ went wrong.

"There it is!" Luke called out, pointing out the windshield at the 30-foot-wide or more gulch ahead of the boys, approaching fast. "Floor it Bo. This might be our only chance."

Nodding, Bo hit the gas and the General vroomed a throaty growl as it lurched forward and gained momentum. In seconds, they were soaring over the open space of Hickman's Gulch and hitting the ground on the otherside with a bone-jarring crash.

"Did we make it?" Luke asked, feigning fright, but having difficulty holding back the smile and chuckle. Bo just smacked him on the shoulder. "I know, of course we made it! Nice drivin' Bo!"

The black sedan, game for a little flyin', gave the gulch a shot. But it came up short and landed down in it, hood flying up and crashing into the front window with a loud, explosive bang.

The General Lee, meanwhile, roared off toward Hazzard Square. This was too important not to report it to Rosco at the county Sheriff's Office.

* * *

"Three days, Rosco, three days until Casey and Randall pick up those parts and I'm another $2,500 richer! I can almost smell the money now! And I didn't spend a penny to get it, either! Them suckers out on Ridge Road."

Rosco khee'd as usual. "Yeah Boss, and no matter how many times I drive up there to investigate, I ain't never gonna find nothin' out of the ordinary! Khee! You're a smart one, little fat buddy."

Boss stopped laughing. "Dang it, Rosco. It's them Duke boys and they're comin' in here awful fast like. You better not have let them get near Ridge Road!"

Rosco cocked his head sideways. "I been here with you all day Boss, I couldn't be out there makin' sure them Dukes weren't out there. But I had Cletus set up a speed trap at the county highway near Ridge Road."

The door to the Sheriff's Office banged open, and shut, and the voice of Luke Duke rang out. "Rosco! Where you at, Rosco! We got an attempted robbery to report! Hey Rosco!"

Boss grabbed Rosco by the shirt collar. "You make sure them boys think this is a one time deal, you numbskull. Otherwise you'll be out of a job come morning. You here?"

"Loud and clear Boss. I'm gone."

He flung open the door.

"What's all this ruckus about? You two want to turn yourselves in for a robbery? You couldn't hack it, worried I'd catch ya?"

Luke laughed and Bo chuckled from beside him. "No, Rosco. We come to report a robbery _against_ us, not by us. Someone done tried to steal our car out on Ridge Road. We got away, but only after they chased us and crashed down in Hickman's Gulch."

Rosco huffed. "Yeah and I'm supposed to believe that hogwash. You boys never tell a stitch of true. Why should I believe you now? You don't have any proof exceptin' your word."

Luke rolled his eyes. "We know you never believe us, Rosco. But at least check it out?"

Nodding, the Sheriff agreed to do so. "Now git! Before I arrest you."

"For what?" Bo called out.

"I'll think of somethin' if you aren't out of here before I turn around."

Bo and Luke gave in and headed out the door of the Sheriff's Office. Rosco smiled as they turned their backs, not intending on bothering to check Ridge Road of course. But little did he know, the Dukes' minds were churning.

"Bo, don't you think he gave in a little too easy? Agreeing to check things out on old Ridge Road?"

The blonde-haired Duke shrugged. "Well, maybe he's ready to believe us for once, Luke? Do you think Rosco's had a change of heart?" Just one look at the smirk on Bo's face let on he was being sarcastic.

"Not a chance," Luke said. "I reckon we're gonna have to get to the bottom of this ourselves." He cut himself off, looking at a point over past Bo. "Hey, Mr. Linton? Why are you riding that thing?"

Bo turned around and followed Luke's gaze. The elderly Mr. Linton was just climbing off an old, worn-looking bicycle. The boys knew he lived about three miles out of town and it must have taken him the better half of the morning to get to Hazzard Square.

The old man sighed as Bo helped him lean the bike up in the bike rack. "Thanks, Bo. I'm ridin' this cuse someone done stole my car, Luke. And the sheriff ain't found hide nor hair o' them folks either!"

Luke and Bo exchanged glances. "Stolen? Whereabouts, Mr. Linton?"

The man looked at Luke and frowned. "Out on the old moonshiner's highway. I was just takin' a ride up it for old-time's sakes, you know? Never thought anyone would be up there, least of all carjackers."

The boys frowned and looked pointedly at each other. "You gonna take long in town, Mr. Linton?" Bo asked the man, who shook his head no. "Well then, you get what you need to get done and meet us at Cooter's garage. We'll give you a lift home in the General."

"That's mighty nice of you fellas," Mr. Linton said. "I think I'll take you up on that. These old bones can't take much of this cycling. I'll just be a few minutes at the grocers." He waved and promised to meet the boys at Cooter's.

As for Bo and Luke, they hopped in the General and pulled him over to Cooter's where they weren't liable to get a parking ticket should Rosco or Cletus show up anytime soon. They weren't about to press their luck anymore today.

"Hey fellas!" Cooter poked his head out from under the hood of an aging green pick-up truck. He was covered in grease and had his ball cap perched on his head. A rag was tucked in his back pocket and he used it to clean off his hands some – not that it did much. "What's goin' on over your way?"

"Car thieves, that's what," Luke said, cutting right to the chase. "We think Boss – and by association Rosco – are involved in it somehow. Don't seem like Rosco is investigating ole Mr. Linton's car theft and someone just tried to steal the General from us, both on the same road."

The mechanic frowned. "Ya know, I heard tell of a few more armed car thefts lately too. Out on Ridge Road."

Bo shook his head. "That's where they took Mr. Linton's and tried to take ours, Cooter! It can't be a coincidence. Something's going on up there. And it's up to us to find out what."

Luke held his cousin back. "Maybe, Bo, but we could use some help. We were outnumbered up there and I don't they'll fall for the same trick twice. We best give Uncle Jesse and Daisy a call. Think things through a bit."

"Don't forget about old Cooter. I'll help ya out too. I hate car thieves."

The three young men laughed and set about discussing the situation out on old Ridge Road.

* * *

"Them Dukes!" Boss shook his pudgy hand in the air, his cigar angled upward as his mouth twisted into a grimace. "I knew it, if you want something done you gotta do it yourself. Rosco, you dipstick, you go arrest them Dukes!"

Rosco looked confused. But he usually did. "What for, Boss? They ain't done nothin' illegal."

Boss smiled his wicked little I'm-scheming-and-you're-doing-what-I-say grin. "Why for grand theft auto of course. Them Duke boys are stealing those cars out on Ridge Road. They were up there, weren't they? And I can round up some witnesses too."

Rosco grinned. "Khee, I love it! I'm gonna cuff'em and stuff'em, Boss!" He turned to leave. "Uh, Boss. What witnesses?"

"The ones I hired, you nincompoop! They're on my payroll and they can say whatever I tell them to. Don't you worry about the complicated stuff. Just go catch me them Dukes."

"I'm gone."

* * *

"Uh-oh Bo, looks like trouble," Luke pointed toward the police department. Sure enough, there was Rosco, his hand twitching awfully close to his pearl-handled pistol in its holster. "Time for us to go, Cooter."

Bo gulped and slid into the driver's window of the General. "Uh, Luke? We promised Mr. Linton a ride home."

Luke nodded. "And we'll give him one. A really fast one."

They hit it as soon as Luke was in the car window half-way, peeling around the corner as Rosco turned tail and ran toward his patrol car, punching the air in frustration. "This is never a simple cuff and stuff, is it?" He muttered.

Meanwhile, Bo and Luke had pulled to a halt outside the grocery store. Mr. Linton looked at Luke incredulously as he jumped out the window of the General and even more incredulously when Luke literally scooped him up and put him _in _through it.

"Boys! What's the hurry!"

Bo looked in the side mirror as Rosco roared around the corner. "Well, Mr. Linton, looks like Rosco thinks we are the car thieves. The usual, ya know." The old man was about to respond, but Bo hit the gas and he was knocked back a bit into the backseat.

Luke kept an eye on Rosco. "Bo, it's gonna be close. We gotta get Mr. Linton out of here before we shake Rosco."

The younger Duke nodded. "You get him out. I'll take off as soon as you do and come back for you," Bo said, looking back again at Rosco on his tail. "Just sit tight at Mr. Linton's place."

Luke didn't really like the idea, he hated Bo being on his own in a chase in case something happened, but he couldn't think of another idea so he nodded. "Right. Let's do this."

The General came screeching to a halt and Luke flew out the window and grasped Mr. Linton to pull him out. Rosco rapidly closed the distance between him and his quarry, but as he reached the General Lee it took off again, minus two passengers.

Rosco flew off after it.

"Well, Mr. Linton, I reckon we can take these groceries in. Bo might be a bit with Rosco that close," Luke said, warily eyeing the plume of dust the two cars had kicked up as they roared away.

"He'll be fine, Luke. Bo's a right good driver."

"Yeah…he is." _But I'm still worried._

* * *

"Dang he's getting' better by the hour!" Bo spat as he wretched the wheel to the right and put the General into a 180 degree turn, backtracking past Rosco at a blinding speed. Rosco was right behind him again in no time. "This calls for drastic measures."

Up ahead was Hazzard Pond. Which Bo and Luke had jumped before, many times, but not when it was this swollen with rain water and the shoreline slippery and all mud. But Bo didn't think on that. Luke was around for the thinkin' most of the time and right now Bo just wanted to get back and pick him up. So he went for it.

The General was moving at a fast clip when Bo reached what he was planning on using for a ramp. Except at the last possible minute, the General slipped on the muddy ground and lurched to the side.

Bo knew it was going to happen, he could feel it, but he still wasn't ready for it.

In seconds, the General had flipped once, twice, three times and landed upside down half in the water of Hazzard Pond. Rosco skidded to a halt just shy of smashing into the car and his eyes widened.

The driver's side was crushed completely.

"Bo…" he said. "Possum on a gumbush…I sure hope he's all right."

Flinging the door open, Rosco slipped and slid down the slight embankment and to the General Lee's side. He couldn't see anything from the driver side, so he clamored over to the passenger's side.

Peering inside he saw Bo. The young man's blond hair was matted with blood and he had been pretty well crunched under the weight of the car. Rosco let out a shaky breath and called out.

"Bo! Bo, can you hear me? Bo?"

There was a groan. _At least he's alive,_ Rosco thought. "I'm calling for help, Bo. Then I'm gonna get you outta there. Just hold on."

Rosco ran back up the hill, only falling once, and grabbed the CB. "Emergency dispatch! This is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane. You got your ears on out there?"

"Sheriff Coltrane, this is dispatch? What's your emergency?"

Rosco gulped. "I got me a real bad car wreck out here. We're gonna need an ambulance out at Hazzard Pond."

"We're on our way, Sheriff."

Hoping Bo was still alive, Rosco stumbled back down the hill and to the General. When he looked inside, he could see Bo had a jagged slice down his side from where the roof of the General had fractured and cut into him. That and whatever was causing the blood in his hair appeared to be the worst of his problems. But it was dark in there.

"All right, Bo. I'm comin'!" He said as he eased his way into the passenger window of the General Lee. "I wish this dang car had doors that opened right about now." He muttered.

Reaching out, Rosco took hold of Bo's arm and pulled, eliciting a short, cut-off cry from the young man. "Sorry, Bo. But I gotta get you outta here."

There was no further noise as Bo helped Rosco pull him from the wrecked General Lee. As soon as he was out, Rosco could see more damage from the crushed car. It looked like Bo would have bruises all up and down his left side from the door and his right side would need a good few stitches from the gash.

Luckily his head wound was small, though it bled a lot. "Thanks, Rosco," Bo muttered, holding his side painfully, trying to staunch the bleeding wound so he wouldn't pass out before the ambulance arrived.

"You shouldn't have run, Bo," the sheriff said. "Why do you always run?"

Bo gulped, unable to smile, but unwilling to let this go without a quip. "Cuse, Rosco, we're always innocent and I'm beginning to hate having to break out of jail to prove it. Though this time I wish I hadn't run. I'm just glad Luke wasn't in there too."

_Luke!_ He was going to be worried when Bo didn't come back. "Rosco? Could you go get Luke? At the Linton place? I'd…I'd really like him here. Please."

_Bo, pleading with me? He must really be hurting,_ Rosco thought to himself. "All right, I'll get'im. You just stay put, Bo Duke. And don't die on me, you got that?"

"Roger, loud and clear, Rosco," Bo said with a small grimace. Rosco looked unconvinced, but he hurried off toward his patrol car. "Please hurry," Bo added under his breath.

* * *

"Where is he?" Luke asked aloud for the umpteenth time. He was about to sigh again when he heard the car pull up. But not the car he had been hoping for. It was Rosco and his patrol car. Where was Bo?

Rosco jumped out and Luke did a double take. Was that blood? "Luke, come with me quick. It's Bo, he had an accident. He wants you."

Luke didn't waste a second; he jumped right in that patrol car. "Is he all right? Where is he? What happened? How bad was he hurt, Rosco, tell me something!"

The sheriff hit the gas and peeled off down the road. "I was chasin' him and he tried to jump the pond, but the ground was too slippery and he lost it at the last minute and the General flipped a few times and landed on its roof."

Luke sucked in a breath. "Bo?"

"He got pretty banged up, Luke. I called Tri-County. But he wanted you and I said I'd getcha to him."

They pulled in where Rosco had left Bo. The ambulance had not arrived and Rosco was beginning to wonder if they had gotten lost or something. Luke was out of the car before it fully stopped, sliding down the hill toward the wrecked Charger.

"BO!" He called out, falling to a kneeling position in front of his younger cousin. He reached forward and touched the blonde's shoulder. "Bo?"

Blue eyes opened and a small smile of relief crossed the pained face. "Luke. I'm sorry."

Luke hushed his cousin and instead turned his attention to the head wound. He fingered it gently and decided it was the lesser of two obvious evils. "Don't apologize, Bo. It could have happened to anyone. I'm glad you're awake and talking."

Bo twitched and jerked back as Luke pried his hands away from his side. He gulped at the sight of all that blood, but didn't turn away. He's seen blood in the Marines. This was no different. _Except he's kin._

With a frown, Luke pulled off his checkered overshirt and folded it over a few times to make a good pad. Then he looked up at Bo's face, which was calm, but tight with pain. "I'm gonna have to put some pressure on it, Bo, to stop the bleedin'. It's gonna hurt."

"Already does, cuz. Might as well do it."

Nodding, Luke gulped again and positioned himself so he was sitting next to Bo on the same side as the jagged gouge. He wrapped his left arm around his cousin and placed the shirt on the wound and pushed.

Bo lurched away from him, but Luke was ready with the other hand and held him still. In effect, hugging him, Luke trembled with the effort of holding Bo and hurting him, even though it was necessary.

"Luke…" Bo whispered. "Luke…I…it…"

"I know, Bo, I know it hurts. I'm sorry," he said. But his cousin suddenly gripped Luke's hand, the one that was loosening its grip on his wounded side. Luke was about to argue, but Bo stopped him.

"Don't let go, Luke. I need you to do it. You know that. I'll never blame you for the hurtin'," Bo said, his voice even thicker with pain now that he was adding his own pressure to the wound.

The conversation ended there as the ambulance from Tri-County pulled up. Paramedics wasted no time in getting Bo into the ambulance and reluctantly let Luke in with him, seeing how it calmed the blonde considerably.

The lights and sirens blared off, leaving Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane to inform Jesse and Daisy about the Duke boys. "This isn't gonna be a nice visit," Rosco muttered as he pulled away from the wreck of the General Lee. "Neither will this call. Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane calling Cooter Davenport."

"This is Crrrrrrrrazy Cooter, comin' atcha, Sheriff, what can I do for ya this fine Hazzard day?" came the response over the CB.

Rosco sighed. "Cooter, can ya git down to Hazzard Pond. The General's been wrecked and Bo and Luke are off to Tri-County. It's gonna need more'n just a tow. It's upside down here."

Cooter nearly dropped the CB over at his garage. "Are they all right?"

Rosco shook his head, but quickly realized Cooter couldn't see him and spoke up. "Bo's been pretty banged up, Cooter. Luke weren't in the car. He went with Bo to the hospital. I think Bo'll be all right, though."

"I'll be there, Sheriff. You call Jesse?"

Rosco told him he was going there in person and would take the Dukes to the hospital in his patrol car so they could run with the lights on and get there quickly. Cooter thanked Rosco for that and cut the chatter.

* * *

Daisy laughed at her uncle, who at the moment was talking to Maudine out in the barn while he milked the goat and Daisy gathered eggs from the chicken coop. She was a little worried that Bo and Luke weren't home yet, but it was actually just like them when they got to having a good time in the General Lee.

He worry came back full force, however, when Rosco pulled up. "Uncle Jesse, it's Rosco. And no Bo and Luke."

Jesse's eyes narrowed. He stood from the upturned bucket he had been sitting on and moved out of the barn toward the patrol car as Rosco climbed out. The look on the sheriff's face stopped him in his tracks.

"Jesse." Rosco stammered, raising his hands helplessly into the air at his sides. "I was just doing my job, Jesse. Them boys…them boys always run."

Jesse swallowed the lump in his throat and Daisy latched onto him from behind. "What happened, Rosco?"

The sheriff came closer and looked down at the ground, gathering his wits about him. "Jesse, Bo was runnin' in the General Lee and he went to make a jump at Hazzard Pond. What with the rain we had the other day he didn't make it and flipped a few times. He's on his way to Tri-County."

Jesse clutched the hand Daisy had snaked around him tightly. "And Luke?"

"Luke wasn't in the car, he's fine."

_That's something,_ Jesse thought. "How bad is Bo?"

Rosco gestured for the patrol car. "I'll tell you more on the way to Tri-County. I'm drivin' you there. It'll be faster that way. And I feel responsible for Bo's crashin'."

Daisy patted him on the shoulder. "Oh, Rosco, you ain't at fault. Let's just hurry."

So Rosco proceeded to tell Jesse and Daisy about Bo's injuries, which was small comfort to the two Dukes who just wanted to be by Bo's side and see for themselves he was really going to be all right.

* * *

"Boss?"

"What Cletus?"

"I just heard from Rosco. He said Bo Duke was in a bad accident while Rosco was chasing him and he's up at Tri-County right now. What are we gonna do? We can't arrest him in the hospital."

Boss chewed on the end of his cigar. "No, but we can arrest Luke Duke."

Cletus shook his head. "He went with him."

"I don't care!" Boss yelled. "Go arrest Luke Duke now! He ain't hurt, he's got no reason to be at the hospital. Move it, or you're out of a job."

The door slammed shut behind Cletus. "I guess that's a no on the raise, then."

As soon as he was gone, Boss grabbed the CB. "Road raiders, this is white ranger. You got those ears on up there?"

"We hear you white ranger. Go on."

"Keep things moving, we have a schedule to keep. Them Duke boys won't be a problem for a while. One of them's laid up in Tri-County and I doubt the other will stray far from his cousin's side."

"Right'o Boss. Road raiders out."

"Money here I come."

* * *

Luke was in the waiting room, pacing back and forth, when Daisy, Jesse and Rosco came in and approached the anxious young man. Luke stopped pacing and threw himself at Jesse, to the old man's immense surprise.

"Easy Luke, it's all right. Bo's gonna be fine."

Luke shook his head, which at the moment was on his uncle's shoulder. "I couldn't help but remember all them times in Vietnam, Uncle Jesse, all them times I held a friend's wound and then saluted at their grave. I was so scared when I saw'im, Uncle Jesse."

The old man patted Luke on the back and whispered in his ear. "Get a hold of yourself Luke, the doc's comin' I think. We'll talk more later, son."

"You all here for Beauregard Duke?"

Nods all around prompted the doctor to continue. "Well, Mr. Duke is lucky that wound in his side wasn't deeper, otherwise he would have had some extensive internal injuries. It need 63 stitches, a few internal ones, and will take a bit of time to heal. The head wound was minimal, only needed five. He doesn't have a concussion, but I'd keep an eye on him for a while."

Luke let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "So, he's gonna be all right, doc?"

"Reckon so," came a soft voice from the emergency room exit. Bo stood, albeit unevenly for he was favoring his right side, and smiled weakly at his cousins and uncle. "Least ways as soon as I can move right again."

His cousin rushed over to him and put out an arm to steady him. Bo nodded his thanks and took hold, leaning a little on Luke to take pressure off his right side and ease the dull pains.

"Oh, Bo, I'm so glad you're all right, sugar," Daisy said, planting a kiss on the unstitched side of Bo's forehead. Jesse patted him lightly on the left shoulder, smiling happily that Bo was indeed all right.

Rosco hung behind, but Bo saw him. "Oh, Rosco, come on over here, I ain't blamin' you for what happened to me. It's my fault for tryin' to jump Hazzard Pond with the ground all wet. I shoulda known that."

"I'm so glad you think so Bo." He would have continued, if Cletus hadn't shown up at that moment and collided with him. "You dipstick, what's wrong with you? Can't you walk?"

"Sorry Sheriff, but Boss' orders. I'm supposed to arrest Luke Duke."

"What!" Came cries from all four Dukes simultaneously. "On what grounds, Cletus?" Uncle Jesse asked, his eyes dark and narrowed in anger. Of all the unfair things J.D. Hogg had done, this was taking the cake.

"Uhm…stealin' cars, Uncle Jesse."

"I ain't your Uncle Jesse!" Jesse shouted, looking around sheepishly when he drew stares from the hospital staff around him. "You know that's a load of hogwash, Cletus. And Bo here just had a bad accident. You can't be takin' Luke away now."

Rosco was torn. Obey Boss, or face the consequences if he didn't. Jesse and the boys seemed to think the same thing at the same time because they looked over at the usually clumsy sheriff.

"I…well…gosh…" he stammered. "Cletus. You found me, but you didn't find the Dukes. They were already on their way back to the farm in … Cooter's truck."

"Cooter's truck? Rosco, he ain't here."

"Oh yes I am." Cooter came up behind Cletus. "And I'm takin' Bo, Luke, Daisy and Jesse home to the farm. And you two ain't seen any of us. Righto?"

Cletus shrugged. "What the hay. I ain't gettin' a raise from Uncle Boss anyway."

"Thanks Cletus, Rosco, we owe you one!" Luke said with a broad smile as he helped Bo out toward the parking lot. The others followed, leaving the two Hazzard policemen in the waiting area.

"Oh, Boss is gonna get me for this one," Rosco muttered. "I might as well cuff and stuff myself. Just wait til he hears about this one. Oh I don't wanna be there. C'mon Cletus. Let's go."

* * *

A/N: I know I already posted recently, but I was on a roll and decided to post more. I sure hope someone reads this and enjoys it as much as I enjoyed it while writing. Anyway, pretty please leave me a review…just so I know someone read it!


	3. Tables are a'turnin'

**Chapter Three: Tables are a'turnin'**

_Balladeer: Y'all remember those two fellas who visited Boss in the Boar's Nest the other day? Well, I wonder what they're up to now? Seems to me somethin' they shouldn't be doin' if they were honest fellas._

* * *

The truck was nearly full of boxed car parts – from things so simple as fan belts to the more pricy parts like carburators and even a few full transmissions. And the bottom of the bluff on Ridge Road was a pile of car wrecks from at least six cars. 

"Not a bad haul on this ole road," one of the strippers commented as he leaned against the trailer they had just closed the back of. "And none too soon cuse Boss wants to deliver this stuff day after tomorrow. I reckon he'll be happy to hear we're done."

Another frowned. "I just wish them boys in that orange Charger hadn't gotten away from us. Those parts sure woulda been nice to add to this here collection. Heck, I mighta kept a few for meself."

The first man laughed at that. "You really think them buyers know that Boss didn't pay a penny for all these parts? Or that they're stolen goods?"

"Knowin' Boss, I'm sure he didn't tell them and I'm sure he don't care. Course, most of the men Boss deals with are just as crooked as him an that sheriff of ours, so I guess it don't matter."

Unbeknownst to those two fellas, there were two other fellas in the bushes nearby. And they were none to happy with what they were hearing. "Stolen goods!" Casey growled. "That Hogg is selling us stolen goods and making quite a profit on it. I have half a mind to leave him in the dust with all them parts."

Randall shook his head. "But we need'em, Casey. Who cares if they're stolen. It ain't like we're sellin'em. We're puttin' them in our stock cars and they're liable to get destroyed sooner or later. Better'n payin' full price for new parts."

Casey shook his head. "I don't care about them bein' stolen, Randall. What I care about is Hogg making his profit. That fat old man don't need more money. I think it's time we took some action."

Pulling his gun, he motioned for Randall to follow suit.

"What are we doing?"

"Turnin' the tables. We steal his parts, get our deposit back, then hightail it outta here. Hogg can't afford to call the cops in, otherwise they might find it was him who stole'm in the first place."

Randall, always one for shuckin' and jivin' someone, smiled a partly toothless grin. "All right. I'm game."

Creeping along the side of Ridge Road, careful to keep under cover, the two men snuck up to the two left on guard with the truck of stolen parts and emerged from the bushes, guns drawn.

"All right, fellas, not a muscle moves, ya hear?" Randall growled.

The two strippers lifted their hands in the air and frowned. "Boss won't be happy about this," one of them muttered as they were bound hand and foot and left lying in the bushes while the truck drove away. "Not one bit."

_Balladeer: Looks like Daisy's first impression of them fellas was right on.  
_

* * *

Bo tossed the stone he'd been fiddling with as high over the barn roof as he could, but it still hit the top and tumbled back down; leaving Bo to mutter angrily and clutch his sore side. 

"I can't do nuthin' like this," he grumbled. "Heck I can't even throw a rock right. How'm I gonna help Luke, Jesse and Daisy catch them crooks and make sure Luke and me don't go to jail?"

Luke, who had been approaching to let Bo know dinner was ready, pretended he hadn't heard his cousin's words. He didn't really know what to tell Bo, but he knew that the younger Duke hated being idle and this injury was getting him down in spirits.

"Hey Bo, dinnertime," Luke said, lightly touching Bo's shoulder to rouse him from his reverie. The short jerk of surprise worried Luke. Normally Bo was pretty attentive to his surroundings. After all, with Rosco or Cletus always on the lookout to arrest them, they had to be. "You all right, cuz?"

The head nod was too quick for Luke's liking, but he didn't want to argue with Bo now either. So he refrained from disagreeing and helped his cousin into a standing position. It had only been two days and if what Daisy had overheard at the Boar's Nest about the stolen parts exchange going down Sunday was true, they still had until the day after tomorrow before things hit the fan. Or so they thought.

Bo plunked down in his usual seat, but unlike usual didn't so much as glance at the food on the table, let alone have to be warned by Uncle Jesse not to eat until grace was through.

_Balladeer: Somethin' is definitely wrong with that boy. He's better snap out of it or I reckon he might starve. Or maybe not, this _**is**_ Bo we're talkin' about._

Jesse saw it too, but he chose to let it alone for the time being. Daisy, however, didn't feel the same way. "Bo, you ain't been this down since ya lady friend with the carnival left Hazzard," she said. "What's wrong, sugar?"

It was the last straw for Bo, he hated being pitied. "Nothin'! Why's everyone think somethin's wrong!"

Jesse cut him off. "Bo Duke, don't you yell like that! Daisy's just askin' what's wrong wit ya and there is somethin' wrong whether you admit it or not!"

The young man frowned and looked down at his plate, sighing. "I'm sorry, Uncle Jesse, Daisy. I'm just not myself right now. And I ain't hungry, so could I be excused?"

He hated to do it, but Jesse nodded and Bo pushed back from the table.

Luke watched his cousin leave and then turned to Jesse. "It's gotta be all this idleness, Uncle Jesse," he said. "We all know Bo hates feeling useless and with them stitches in his side, he feels like he ain't gonna be able to help with catchin' those thieves."

Jesse grimaced. "I know that, Luke. It's what I figured too. Cept, what kin we do to bust him outta this rut o' his?" Luke smiled. "What are you thinkin', Luke?"

"Oh, nothin', Uncle Jesse, I'll take care of it. Bo'll be as good as new in no time." He jumped up from the table and hurried off in the direction his cousin had taken, while Jesse glanced at Daisy.

"I sure hope he don't plan on doing anything stupid," the old man mumbled as he took a bite of Daisy's fried chicken. "Lord knows I hate seein' my boys in pain and upset."

* * *

He leaned down and fiddled with the carborator under the General's hood, trying not to pay attention to the pain in his side, but knowing that would become futile the longer he leaned like this. There wasn't any need of course to look under the hood. The General had just come back from Cooter's that day, nearly good as new except some obvious dents in the body work.

Another head ducked under the car's hood beside him and Bo closed his eyes momentarily, waiting for Luke to ask him what was wrong or to chide him for jumping down Daisy's throat.

He did neither.

"You wanna take'im for a spin," Luke asked, not looking up from the engine, though he could tell Bo was taken aback by the question. "I mean, we haven't been back up to that road since them guys tried to thieve us. I'm ready to get to the bottom of this."

Bo frowned. "I ain't gonna be no use in a fight, Luke."

The other young man shook his head and risked a look at Bo. "Don't matter. We ain't gonna be stoppin' for no strangers in the road this time, Bo. I reckon you'll be all right. And we'll give Cooter a call and see if he wants to come, just in case."

For a moment, it looked like it wouldn't work and Bo would refuse. But the blonde let a small smile creep across his face and he nodded. "All right, but I wanna drive, if you let me."

Luke grinned. "Course, cousin. After all, you gotta get back in the saddle after a fall like that one."

That hit Bo hard. He hadn't thought about the accident since he'd been home and suddenly, with only a few joking words, the feeling of being trapped and bleeding, not to mention practically alone, hit Bo full force. His eyes widened and darted toward the drivers side of the car.

Luke could have hit himself in the forehead for that one. He hadn't thought that perhaps Bo was leery of getting back in the General after the accident, he had thought that the chance for a ride would cheer his cousin up.

"Bo, we don't have to you know, we could always just stay here and find something else to do," Luke started, knowing it sounded lame the moment it came out of his mouth. Bo glared at him.

"No Luke I'm going. I have to. Have a little faith in me, cuz, I ain't never let something like this get me down before and I'm not about to start now. I'm done feelin' sorry for meself."

Not another word was need as Bo backed out of the hood and Luke slammed it down tight. Bo hesitated a moment at the door to the General, idly wondering how bad it was going to hurt getting in, but deciding he could do it.

Swinging his long legs into the window, Bo clutched the top of the General and held his breath as he slid into the driver's seat. It pulled and brought him to the verge of wanting to let out a wince, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. A small smile spread across his face.

Instead of immediately starting the engine and flooring the gas, Bo took a moment to just sit in the driver's seat and clutch the steering wheel. _It doesn't seem so bad. The roof's fixed, I got plenty of room, and most of all, Luke's right beside me. Nothin' to it!_

It only took him a moment to start the engine and through it into first before Bo was peeling away from the farm house with his trademark yeehaw and a broad grin on his face.

Luke smiled to himself. _Knew it would work.  
_

* * *

"Do you reckon them fellas are still up on Ridge Road? I mean it would be mighty weird if'n everyone reported the thefts and they still kept happening on the same road," Bo wondered aloud. 

His cousin shook his head. "You know as well as I do, Bo, that Boss Hogg and Rosco must be in on it. You heard ole Mr. Linton, they didn't investigate his case. And Cooter told us it happened a few times even before that. No…I think the kept shop up there."

The boys were nearing Ridge Road rapidly, seeing as Bo didn't seem to know the meaning of going the speed limit today, and they were both itching to solve this crime and clear their names.

But nothing ever goes according to plan, nor is anything ever easy, in Hazzard.

"WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRR"

"Oh for the love of…" Bo smacked the steering wheel. "It's Rosco! He came outta no where! There ain't no way he's gonna just let us drive on up Ridge Road now, Luke!"

Bo wretched the steering wheel to the left and took the turn in the rough road at a fast clip, wincing as his side smarted with the effort of keeping the car under control at such high speeds.

He knew it was only a matter of time before Luke would notice his pain.

Luke peered back toward Rosco and sighed. "He ain't gonna let us, that's for sure. I'll bet he's been hidin' here to make sure no one with the last name Duke or Davenport goes near Ridge Road. Try to shake'im."

"I am trying," Bo gritted, throwing the car into a 90 degree turn and hightailing it up a side road he'd seen. The General groaned under the beating it was taking as it smashed up and down over deep ruts and rocks in the road. "Not much of a shortcut, I guess."

Luke, holding onto whatever he could, didn't answer. He was staring fixedly at Bo's right side where a small patch of red was beginning to bleed through and appear on Bo's yellow shirt.

"Cuz, you're bleedin'," Luke said, his heart skipping a beat. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Bo didn't answer, but he took a deep breath and held in the wince as he hit a particularly nasty bump. It took all his concentration not to let go of the steering wheel and clutch at his side.

Rosco, meanwhile, was full of high spirits. "Oh I'm gonna get them Duke boys now! I caught'em returning to the scene o' their crime, yes sir, I did! That's grand theft auto, straight to the state pen with them!"

His eyes widened when Bo threw the General into a 180 and came barreling back toward him. Rosco just barely got out of the way before being clobbered and he tried hard to recover, but found he couldn't and the patrol car careened down an embankment and smashed front bumper first into the ground at the bottom.

"Dang it!" He shouted, shaking a little from the car's sudden impact. "Them…I…oh…I'm gonna get them Dukes one of these days. Oh, this is a terrible accident. Horrendous…they done scuffed my car good this time."

He climbed out and glared at the crumpled front end of his patrol car. It wasn't going anywhere on its own legs, anytime soon. He reached back into the front seat and grabbed the CB.

"Boss, this is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, you got your ears on?"

Boss' voice came back over the CB with an affirmative.

"Uh, Boss…about them Duke boys. Well, they done and scuffed my car again and I … well … I lost'em."

"Lost'em? Lost'em? Rosco, you couldn't even catch yourself! If them Dukes get up Ridge Road they could ruin everything. Where's that dipstick cousin of mine, your deputy, get him after those Dukes!"

Cletus, being who he was, didn't hear the transmissions, but Bo and Luke did. "Uh-oh, if he gets Cletus on our tail, it's gonna be another bumpy car chase," Luke commented, glancing at Bo who was breathing hard but appeared to be all right for the moment.

The bleeding hadn't progressed any further and Luke surmised it was one loosened or possibly undone stitch that had caused the splotch of red. He imagined it still hurt though. "You wanna head back?" He asked the blonde.

Bo shook his head. "We came this far and went to all this trouble, Boss obviously wants to hide somethin' up there and I reckon we oughta find it b'fore he moves it."

Luke had to agree on that one. He grabbed the CB. "Lost sheep callin' shepherd, lost sheep to shepherd, you read?" Uncle Jesse came back with a ten-four and Luke continued. "We just shook Rosco, but they're sendin' in Cletus. Could you and Daisy join Cooter and run interference for us while we check things out?"

"We can do that lost sheep," Jesse chuckled. "Shepherd out."

Bo nodded at Luke's decision to call in reinforcements as he took the General up onto Ridge Road. As the car lurched along, both boys kept their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

And they weren't disappointed.

"Look!" Luke shouted, pointing toward some bushes on Bo's side of the road. Sure enough, there was someone in there moving around! "Let's see what's happening."

Bo was hesitant, not wanting to be suckered into another trap, but he trusted Luke and he pulled the General Lee over. Easing themselves out of the car, Bo and Luke hurried over to the bushes and found two men tied hand and foot.

Removing the gag from the men, Bo said, "You're them car thieves! Whatcha doin' all trussed up like that?"

One of the men grimaced. "We've been double-crossed. The Boss' buyer done and stole the parts we was supposed to sell'im," he said before his companion could shush him. "Uh-oh."

"Yeah, uh-oh is right," Luke said. "You two don't look too worse for the wear, I reckon we can leave y'all here until Rosco and Boss come and find ya. Wouldn't want them to lose no hired help, would we?"

Bo chuckled and cast aside the gag, but let the man tied up.

"C'mon Bo. We got ourselves a crook to chase. I'm sure they've got a head start, but maybe we'll catch'em before they leave town for good and it's our word against Boss'."

Climbing back into the General Lee, Bo turned him around and headed back down Ridge Road while Luke radioed Jesse, Daisy and Cooter to set them on the lookout for a large truck that could be hauling the parts.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it for now. I have to work late tonight so I had better be getting to sleep. I'm sort of winging this story as I go, so forgive me if I don't update as fast as you might like. I have to make stuff up. I didn't really plan on posting til I was finished, but I got excited!**

**Thank you to all those who reviewed and I hope to hear from you again. If you have any requests, something you'd like to see, drop me a review and I'll see if maybe I can incorporate it into this story…or keep it in mind for another!**

**-Gwen**


	4. Hot pursuit

Chapter Four: Hot pursuit

_Balladeer: Well looke here, seems them crooks might be stealin' car parts, but when it comes to fixin' engines – they don't know a thing about it._

* * *

Randall pounded the side of the truck's engine compartment and swore under his breath. "I just don't believe it, Casey. Of all the things that could happen, we had to go and break down before gettin' outta Hazzard. I'm beginning to hate this place," he muttered.

While not exactly calm, Casey was the more level-headed of the two and he glanced up and down the street they were stuck on. "I don't know if this is a real popular street or not, Randall, but we have to find some way to get this here truck hidden."

Now hiding the truck wasn't going to be easy. It was stalled on the shoulder of the road and there wasn't a tree or bushes close by to push it behind. Not that that would have hidden a truck this size anyway. But they couldn't just sit around.

"Fine, you figure out how to do that," Randall said. "I'm gonna get on the CB and lure that mechanic from town here. We'll force him to fix it and then get rid of him. I've had it with being nice around these parts."

_Uh-oh Cooter, you better watch your back._

"Hello out there, anyone with their ears on, we need some help out on Route 3, over," Randall said into the CB, hoping that someone would pick up. "We've got engine trouble and don't know nothin' bout engines."

The CB crackled and back came a response. "This is Crrrrrrrrrrrrrazy Cooter, comin' atcha Mr., whereabouts on county 3 are you?"

"Near the Chickasaw County line," Randall smiled, giving Casey the thumbs up. "Can you help?"

"Sure thing, Mr. I'll be out there in no time," Cooter replied from his tow truck out near Ridge Road where he had been looking for the crooks as promised. HE quickly informed Daisy, Jesse and the boys where he was heading. "Hey Shepherd, Lost Sheep and Bo Peep, I've got me a call, 'fraid I'm outta this for a bit."

Luke, in the General, picked up the CB and replied, "That's all right, Cooter. We'll take it from here. Thanks for the help, buddy."

Bo looked over at Luke when he put down the CB. "We ain't seen hide nor hair o' that truck, Luke. We might as well be goin' in circles at this rate. What say we change tactics?"

Luke looked at his cousin with a frown. "How?"

Smirking, Bo looked at the road and didn't answer right away. When he did, it was with one of his I'm-about-to-suggest-somethin'-sneaky faces on. "Boss and Rosco. We tell'em what we found. Then, we follow'em. I'm not sure they know where that truck is, but they might know somethin' we don't."

Nodding his head, Luke mulled it over a bit. "I'll bet they were double-crossed, Bo. And knowin' Boss, he'd have gotten a down payment! What if them fellas who double-crossed him want it back?"

The blonde cousin smiled. "What are we waitin' for?"

Luke snatched the CB and put in a call to Boss. "Boss, this here is Luke Duke out on Ridge Road. We done found your strippin' buddies and they was all trussed up like a couple o' sacks o' potatoes!"

The shriek of anger over the CB made Luke laugh lightly and Bo glanced at his cousin. Boss must have been holding the CB down still when he laid into Rosco. "Why weren' you watchin' things out there, Rosco! Them low down, dirty double crossers! I'll get'em, yes, no one double-crosses Jefferson Davis Hogg."

"Best let go of that CB button, Boss, you just broadcast that to anyone on the Hazzard net," came Rosco's voice over the speaker next. There was silence following that, at least for a moment.

"Hogg, this is a former business associate. I have a deal to make with ya," came over the CB. Luke couldn't put a finger on it, but he had heard that voice before. The boys waited for more. "I want my money back. I just heard someone snatched them parts and if you ain't got'em, I ain't payin' for'em."

Bo and Luke exchanged glances. "That was too quick," Luke muttered. "Too quick. Somethin' don't seem right here." They waited for more.

"You…you want your money back, eh?" came Boss' response. "How do I know you didn't go and steal those parts, huh? After all, you knew where we was set up. Why should I believe you?"

There was another pregnant pause. "Cuse I got me someone here who I'll gladly send the way o' those stripped cars if'n you don't give me what I want. Say hello to Hogg over there at that pig nest of his."

"Boss, they ain't foolin'," came through.

"COOTER!" Bo exclaimed, recognizing that voice anywhere. He suddenly threw the General Lee into a sharp 90 degree turn and roared off toward county 3 and the Chickasaw County line, where he knew Cooter had gone.

Luke gripped his shoulder. "Easy, Bo. We don't wanna be gettin' into something you can't handle, no offense cuz, we best call in reinforcements otherwise Cooter could get hurt."

Nodding, but not slowing, Bo listened while Luke called to Daisy and Jesse. "Got that, you two?" There were two affirmatives. They didn't have to say what they meant over the air, both of the Dukes knew what Luke was referring to. They'd recognized Cooter's voice too and all the Dukes paid close attention to all CB traffic.

If all went well, they would have Cooter, and their evidence, soon.

_Balladeer: All go well? This is Hazzard, remember, all just can't go well. Especially not for them Dukes, trouble seems to follow them like a moth to a flame. Or maybe that's a Hogg to money?_

* * *

Cooter tugged on his restraints. He had finished fixing the truck in no time, it hadn't really been anything serious or difficult, but those fellas hadn't been lying when they said they knew nothing about cars. Soon as he had finished, they hadn't wasted a second before they hit him over the back of the head with a pistol butt.

When he had come to, he had been tied up and was lying beside the truck.

He hoped someone had overheard the CB traffic – namely the Dukes, but he wasn't so sure he wanted them to come at the same time. Bo, after all, was still hurt and Cooter knew the blonde Duke wouldn't be idle if it came to a fight.

"You, get up," the man named Randall said, pointing a pistol at Cooter, who had his arms firmly tied behind his back but had free use of his legs. "Time to be payin' Hogg a visit. After we stash this here truck."

_Dang it_, Cooter thought. If these two stashed the truck before the were found, there was no telling how this whole thing might turn out. Stalling for time, Cooter tripped, purposely of course, and hit the ground hard.

Casey reached down and dragged him to his feet, but Cooter let out a shout of pain and his left leg buckled again. Swearing, the crook set him back down. "Now you done it, fella. You don't get up, you don't ever get up again."

Grimacing and swallowing a rather large lump in his throat, Cooter dragged himself, still feigning the injury so he could go slower as the three walked toward the truck. He barely restrained himself from letting out a groan when they reached it and he was thrust into the cab.

Casey took the wheel, while Randall took Cooter's truck for their trip into Hazzard Square, and soon both were rumbling toward the nearby forested area. There would be plenty of hiding places for a truck in there.

And there was still no sign of the boys, Daisy or Jesse.

Cooter sighed. It just really wasn't his day.

* * *

"I don't see'em," Bo said in frustration. "Cooter must be with them too cuse I don't see him and I doubt they'd just leave him in the road. He's their insurance."

Luke had to agreed with that. They had been traveling county three toward the Chickasaw line and so far hadn't seen hide nor hair of the thieves or Cooter. Unless that plume of dust to their right was something.

"Bo! Look!"

Seeing what Luke was pointing at, Bo smiled grimly. "Luke, if that's them I reckon they're on their way into the forest to hide that truck! Should we go after'em?"

Luke didn't think for a moment of doing anything else. Nodding, he held tight as Bo turned the General Lee down a side road – or rather more of a side path since it was far worse than even the worst of roads.

In no time the General Lee caught up with the thieves. The truck was having a hard time traveling cross-country and it had slowed them crooks up some, giving Bo and Luke just enough time to get around them.

Wretching the car to the side, Bo hoped the thieves wouldn't want to try ramming through the General Lee. He opened his eyes a crack when there was no collision and looked out his side of the General.

The front bumper of the truck was a mere few inches from his door. Letting out a breath, Bo gulped and glanced over at Luke. "That sure was close, cousin," he muttered.

Luke was looking in his direction, but not at him. "Well this is a bit closer, Bo. Don't make any sudden moves."

Slowly turning toward his own window, Bo shuddered when his gaze was met by a pistol's gleaming barrel pointed right at him. The gunman smiled and waved the gun away from the car.

"Get out," he said. "Both of ya, or your friend gets it."

Cooter nodded lightly from where he was. IT wasn't like he could wave or anything, but a nod should do it in this case. Bo and Luke eased themselves out of the General, the latter watching in concern as it took Bo entirely too long to straighten back up again.

Randall, who had gone around to Bo's side of the car, roughly shoved Bo toward the others, seemingly unaware he was injured. Which was for the better, of course, that meant he couldn't use it against the boys.

"You two have meddled enough in our affairs," Randall said, mostly looking at Bo and Luke. "I hear you're them two who got away on Ridge Road too. Reckon you've caused enough trouble for one lifetime."

Casey smiled and nodded, not letting his gun fall for a moment. Neither men were being stupid enough to get within reach of any of the three Hazzard natives either, so there was no way anyone could disarm them.

Randall seemed to contemplate for a moment before coming to a decision. "So's you don't follow us, this ought to give you something else to worry about." He raised his gun and fired and one of the three slumped to the ground in surprise, not quite registering that he'd just been shot.

_Balladeer: Uh-oh, I reckon them boys better get him to the hospital and fast. Those crooks sure picked a nasty way to make their getaway. He don't look so good.

* * *

_

A/N: Hahah! Who do you think "he" is? If you know me, you're probably right in who you're thinkin'. I hope I won't make you wait too long…course if I get a ton of reviews I'll probably get excited and wanna write quicker. shameless fishing for reviews But I'll try to update tomorrow even if I don't get any…

-Gwen


	5. Double whammy

A/N: Just couldn't make up my mind…read on and see what I mean. -Gwen

**Chapter Five: Double whammy**

Luke cringed at the red hot fire on his upper-arm, but he didn't make a single sound, just flinched and gritted his teeth. Blood began to run down his arm, soaking his blue-checked shirt.

But he was still standing.

So who wasn't?

Bo grunted with the effort it took to sit himself back up from where he had fallen when the bullet had hit him in the shoulder. At first, seeing the small jerk of Luke, he had thought the bullet had hit his cousin, which it obviously had, but it had kept going and knocked him right off his feet.

"Of all the dang luck," he muttered, feeling no pain really but knowing that he sure would later if all that blood was any indication. Not to mention the fall had done a nifty job of jarring his previous injuries.

The two car thieves were all but forgotten as Luke spun around and looked for Bo, his eyes sliding downward to take in his cousin sitting on the ground with his left hand firmly gripping his right shoulder.

"Bo, why does it always have to be you?" He whispered, kneeling beside Bo and moving forward to try and get a look at the wounded shoulder, not really noticing he was moving his left arm until a sharp pain reminded him. "Yeow…that was dumb. Real dumb, Luke."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Cooter and Bo chuckled at the wounded look on Luke's face as the dark-haired cousin sat back on the ground and held tight to his own gouged shoulder.

Cooter came up behind Bo and commented darkly. "It appears to have gone in and back out, Bo, so at least the bullet didn't bounce around in there and cause all kinds of trouble. That's a good thing."

Bo mumbled something about how could a gunshot wound be a good thing in any way, shape or form, but chose not to elaborate when he drew a "huh" from Cooter, who hadn't really heard him.

Luke, on the other hand, smiled at that. Only Bo could make light of such a dire situation. "Well, I reckon we oughta get you to a doctor, cousin," Luke said, and with the help of Cooter the two were able to lift and maneuver Bo into the General Lee.

As soon as he was in, the blonde slumped against the seat and was relieved when Cooter took the wheel and he was able to lean on his cousin. Luke kept it quiet that Bo was leaning on his own wounded arm. He couldn't bear the thought of moving him after all he'd been through and besides, it was keeping a steady pressure on his own bleeding.

With his good right arm, Luke added pressured to Bo's right shoulder, bringing a hissing wince from the latter. Still, the pain was manageable while the adrenalin was still pumping.

"Doc Appleby's place is closer," Cooter commented. "Reckon he could stitch Bo up as good as new, there don't appear to be too much damage ceptin' that hole right through'im."

Bo glared at Cooter. "I'll hit ya later for that, Cooter."

If he was joking, he wasn't dying, that much Luke was sure. _So joke away, Cooter, just keep him awake and his spirits high. Now, about them crooks who done shot'im…_

"Hand me the CB, will ya Bo? If you hold it, I'll hold you're arm and do the talkin', sound all right," Luke said, looking over at his cousin who barely nodded before reaching a long arm forward and grasping the CB.

Once in position, Luke called out over the net, "Lost sheep calling Shepherd and Bo Peep out on county three, y'all got your ears on?"

Only a moment passed before Uncle Jesse's voice came back over the CB. "We hear you loud and clear, Lost Sheep. What's your twenty?"

Luke explained about the shooting, and took a moment…or three…to convince Uncle Jesse that Bo, and himself, would be fine, then told him they were on their way to Doc Appleby's place to get fixed up.

"Can you and Daisy try and keep on those crooks while they complete their business with Boss? We need Rosco and Boss to find them, with the loot, and we're gonna have to help'em do it. Maybe make Boss an offer, after all, we know where that truck is. If they get away there ain't no clearin' our names for them robberies."

Jesse must have been mulling things over. "All right, Lost Sheep. Bo Peep and I will make sure we got to Boss before they do and we'll try and crack a deal with him. Boss loves his money and he won't wanna part with that deposit, even if he don't deserve it."

Luke agreed and signed off as they pulled into the doc's driveway. Thankfully, he appeared to be in and soon came scurrying out of the house. Luke and Cooter were carefully extricating Bo from the General as he reached them.

"By golly, Bo Duke, whatcha done this time?"

Bo gulped in pain. "I ain't done nothin', Doc. Honest. It was all them fellas' fault, they done shot me and Luke here," he replied, gesturing toward the bloody arm of Luke's shirt.

With an exaggerated sigh, but unable to hide his concern for the boys, Doc lead them into his home and had both Bo and Luke sit down on the sofa, which was conveniently covered with something to keep it clean.

Seeing that Bo was worse off than Luke, Doc examined him first, eliciting a fair number of grunts, groans and quite high-pitched yelps from the blonde Duke boy before he was finished with closing the wound.

"Mighty lucky one, you are, Bo, that went clean through and it weren't too difficult to fix," Doc said with a half smile as Bo pulled uselessly on the part of the sling wrapped around his neck. "And you better wear that at all times, ceptin' when you sleep, for the next two weeks."

Now Bo really showed them he could groan.

Luke laughed at his cousin's response, but Doc rounded on him and he shut his trap real quick-like. "You ain't gonna be laughin' when I'm done, Luke. You need stitches too and I am puttin' you in a sling for one weeks. No using that muscle for that whole time."

Now it was the dark-haired Duke's turn to groan and Bo didn't waste the opportunity to laugh at him for it. Cooter stood by with a wide grin on his face. He was worried, of course, but the two of them were quite a sight.

_Balladeer: While them boys are laughin' it up, in between the yelps of pain o'course, wonder how Daisy and Uncle Jesse are trying to cut a deal with Boss and Rosco?_

* * *

"You mean to tell me, Jesse, that you want me to work with you and Daisy here? And to let your nephews, them darned Duke boys, off the hook to boot?" Boss said, his cigar pointing upward while he frowned. "I don't see what's in it for me?"

Jesse glared at Boss. "Them boys are innocent and you know it, J.D. You're the one who done hired them original strippers to sell them parts to these new fellas. Well, these fellas double-crossed you and we know where they's hidin' them parts."

He cut Boss off before he could say anything further. "And if you drop them charges, we'll lead you to'em and you can arrest them men when they come here to bargain with ya. That way, you keep your deposit and get them parts back."

Keeping the money he had been paid already, plus keeping the parts the money was partial payment for, sure sounded like a win-win situation for Boss and he wasn't about to let the opportunity go without some good thinking on it.

"And all you want is them boys to be left alone on the charges?" Rosco said, shaking his head. "You ain't gonna report none o' this to the state police?"

Daisy shook her head. "Ain't gonna tell no one, Rosco. We Dukes don't like lyin', but we care about them boys and if this is the only way to get them charges dropped, so be it. We'll make the deal."

Course, Boss and Rosco didn't know there was more to the plan than they were letting on. While letting Boss keep that deposit was one thing, they weren't about to let him keep those parts.

Daisy and Jesse knew Boss owned the junk yard, with plenty of cars that need various parts. And what better way to reimburse those fellas whose cars were stripped then getting Boss to give them each a car and the parts the need to get it running?

But that part they kept to themselves.

_Balladeer: I wonder how they plan on accomplishin' that?_

* * *

**A/N: That's all I can write tonight. Been sick last few days and with today being Valentine's Day I was lucky to get this update in! How'd you like my indecisiveness on who to shoot? I thought it worked out well this way.**


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